Cibctjit-closeb



6.0. ROBINSON.

CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR AUTOMOBILE SIGNALS. APP .ATION FILED NOV. 15.!9i6.

"W H n /W INVENTOR v6 fiCROZL'H/SOM, WW 5 ATTORNEY WITNESSES G'. C.ROBINSON. CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR AUTOMOBILE SIGNALS. APPLICATION man nouns.me. 1,30%927, Patented'June 24,1919.

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Z6 --TuRN|N0 )4 I I I |NVENTOR. WITNESSES k g: 720717650229 I ATTORNEY)To all whom it may concern:

UNI ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GIBA BD C. ROBINSON, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CIRCUIT-CLOSER FOR AUTOMOBILE-SIGNALS. v

Be it known that I, GIRARD C. ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in- Circuit-Closers forAutomobile-Signals, of which the following is.

a specification.

The present invention relates to a circuit closer {or a signal forautomobiles or like self-propelled vehicles.

In carrying out my invention it is my purpose to produce asignal whichwill automatically operate when the clutch or steering apparatus isactuated so as-to signal to the rear of the machine the direction ofcourse that the said machine is to take or when the machine is to bebrought to a stop,

so that pedestrians or vehicles to the rear of the machine will beproperly warned with respect to the intentions of the driver of themachine so that accidents from rear-end collisions may be thuseffectively obviated.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a device of thischaracter which shall be of a simple construction, which may be readilyand easily attached to any ordinary construction of motor vehicles,which, when so attached will require no further attention and whichshall be. positively automatic in its operation I With the above andother objects in View the improvement resides in the construction,combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the followingspecification and fall ing within the scope of the appended claim.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the arrangement of theimprovement upon the chassis of a motor vehicle,

Fig. 2 is a part sectional'view upon a greatly enlarged scale showingthe circuit closing means,

Fig. 3 is a part sectional view of the means for connecting the closerto a movable part of the automobile.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view approximately nected with the aXle, 3 thespindle arms. and

4 the spindle connectin rod.

To each of the spin 1e arms 3 I connect comprises. a member that iscentrally bi- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J une 24, 1919 1Application filed November 15, 1916. Serial 1T0. 131,524.

furcated from one of its ends and the spindle.

arm 3 is received in the said bifurcation. One of the sides of the clip5 is formed with an outwardly extending enlargement or boss that isprovided with a central threaded opening communicating with the slot orbifurcation and which is designed to receive a set screw 6 thatscontaotswith one of'the' sides of each of the spindle arms and retains the clipupon the said arm. The end of the clip, opposite that provided with theslot on bifurcation is formed with an eye 7 which is adapted to receivethe bent end 8 of a rod member 9. Each of the rods 9 has a threaded endwhereby to engage in the threaded socket provided upon a sleeve 10, theouter end of each of the said sleeves bein widened and slotted toreceive therein a lin r 11, the said link being pivotally connected tothe slotted end of the sleeve, as indicated by the numerals 12. Each ofthe links has its free end provided with a re duced portion forming afinger 13 and the purpose of which will presently be described. Inaddition to arranging the mechanism above described upon the spindlearms 3, I also arrange a similar construction upon the depending arm ofthe brake lever 14' of the automobile, and as the parts of the deviceare identical with those pi-eviously described, the reference charactersindicating the said mentioned parts are equally applicable to thosearranged upon the arm of the clutch pedal 14.

.The numerals 15 designate switch boxes or casings each beingof asimilar construction and each being provided with a laterally extendinghead 16, the opposite ends of which have openings whereby the same maybe attached to the machine. a The head 16, upon the two switch boxes 15that are preferably arranged upon the spindle connecting rod 4 arecentrally .depressed and receive the outer portion of the spindle rodare disposed over the head 16 and are connected thereto by removableelements, such as @bolts passing through openings .Which head,.nutsengaging with the said bolt to effectively and adjustably retain theswitch aline with the o enings in the ends of the a frame therefor.

to the opposite ends of the head 16 of the said switch box and thisswitch box may be connected in any desired or preferred manner to thebody of the machine or to the Each of the switch boxes upon what I willterm the outer face thereof and adjacent one of the sides of the same isformed with outwardly extending spaced cars 18 between i which arereceived the links 11, and each of the said links being pivot-ally.connected, as

at 19, between one pair of ears'upon' each of the switch boxes.

The numerals 20 designate push members or buttons of insulated materialwhich pass through openings in the switch box and which are disposed oneadjacent each of the lingers 13 of the respective links 11 whereby to becontacted by the said fingers and moved longitudinally by virtue of suchcontact in a manner and for a purpose which will presently be described.lVithin each of the switch boxes 15, and insulated therefrom, isarranged a pair of spring switch arms 21 and 22 respectively, the samebeing normally out of contact, but the spring arm 21 engages with theinner end of the push members 20 to normallv project the same a suitabledistance outward of the switch boxes.

To the rear of the machine, preferably upon one of therear fenderstherefor, but, of course, adapted to be located at any desired orconvenient position, is arranged a casing 23, the same being providedwith threedistinct compartments indicated for. distinction by thenumerals 2%, 25 and 26. Each of the compartments of the casing 23, uponthe outer face thereof, is provided with "i transparent plate havingindicia thereon I relative to the direction of travel of the machine orto indicate when th machine is about to stop. If desired, however, suchindicia may be, and preferably is, cut through the outer face of thesaid casing 23, the in dicia for the upper compartment 2 L spelling theword Stop, the letters upon the remaining compartment-s spelling theword Turning and extending in opposite directions from these words arearrows 27 and 28 respectively which are also formed by cutting the outerplate or face of the compartments 25 and 26. The arrow 27 for thecompartment 25 has its head pointing in one dii'cctiomwhile the arrow 28for the compartment 26 has its head pointed in an opposite direction sothat drlvers of vehicles or pedestrians to the rear of the machine,

when any one of the compartments of the casing 23 1s lighted in a mannerwhich wlll presently be described will be readily informed if themachine is to sto machine is to turn around to the right or left.

The numeral 28 designates the battery for the electrically actuatedparts of the machine proper, 29 the main wire from the battery, and 30the return wire which is rounded to the frame of the machine. To t 1emain wire 29 is connected branch line wires 31, 32 and 33 respectively.The wire 31 leads to the switch 21 in the switch box 15 to the left handside of the drawing, the wire 32 leading to the switch spring 21 in theswitch box 15 disposed adjacent to the clutch pedal lt, while the wire33 connects with the spring switch 21 on the switch box 15 to the righthand side of the drawing. The return wire connected with the switchspring 22 of the first mentioned switch box 15 is indicated by thenumeral 3i and is connected with a lamp 35 in the central compartment 25of the casing 23, the return wire 36 from the said lamp being groundedto the frame of the machine. The return line wire for the spring switchpoint 22 of the second mentioned switch box 15 is indicated by thenumeral 37 and leads to the upper compartment 2& of the casing 23 andconnects with the lamp 38 in the said compartment, the return wire 39from the lamp being grounded to the machine. The wire for the springswitch 22 in the remaining switch box 15 is indicated by the numeral &0and is connected with a lamp 4:1 in the lower compartment 26 of thecasing 23, the return wire 42 from the lamp being grounded to the frameof the machine.

lVhile I have illustrated two of the switch boxes 15 as being connectedto the spindle rod at, it is obvious that the same may be secured ifdesired to any other part of the machine. The spindle arms 3, of course,move in unison with the spindle rod 4, but as is well known the path oftravel of the spindle rod is greater than that of the spindle arms, andconsequently when the machine is to turn, say, to the left, the finger18 of the link 11 on the right hand side of the drawing will be moved toengage with the push button 20 bringing the spring contacts 21 and 22 inthe said box 15 into engagement, and energizing the circuit connectedwith the lamp 4C1, thus illuminating the compartment 26. The movement ofthe spindle rod in one direction will cause the finger 23 of theadjacent link 11 to be brought away from the push member 20 in theswitch box 15 upon the left hand side of the frame, and the referred tomovement of parts will be reversed when the machine is operated'to turnto the right, in which instance, the switch members 21 and 22,will

be brought into contacting engagement by the push member, 20 actuated bythe finger 13 of the lip 11 inthe construction on the or if the.

left hand side of the drawings, and the circuit for the lamp 35 will beenergized, so that the central compartment will be illuminated. When theclutch member is operated it will be apparent that the finger 13 of the,remainin push member 20 in the remaining switch box closing the circuitfor the lamp 38, and thus illuminating the upper compartment 24: of thecasing 23.

' The construction above described permits of all of the parts beinginterchangeable and adjustable with relation to the structure upon whichthey are arranged, and it is thought that the operation. and advantagesof the device will apparent without further detailed description.

link 11 will actuate the Having thus described the invention, what Iclaim is:

A circuit closer for the electrical signal'zo i eleAeun-koieggrsorr.

